Poor executive presence in a customer meeting can leave them thinking you’re not a good long term provider for them. If they don’t perceive you as sophisticated, they may not view your products and services as sophisticated.

If you appear disinterested—asking no questions, little eye contact—it plants a seed of doubt that you’ll really understand a prospect’s needs.

Your banker can think “these financials look ok but what about this person?” Is s/he capable of being successful long term?

Suppliers, lawyers, your CPA… do they feel like you’re a good long term partner? If you stumble over your words, go on long, drawn-out explanations, give fuzzy, unfocused answers with thoughts bouncing around, they may wonder if you’re capable of running a business well.

Do members of your community feel like you’re going to make a positive impact? If not, you’re not going to get mentioned to their circles of influence or, government entities may not be confident in helping you expand.

You want the best employees you can get and you want them to have confidence that if they join their life to yours, it’s going to be positive for them. It’s tough to attract the best and brightest if you don’t appear competent and confident. That stellar sales manager you want to hire will choose the business leader who does.

Gravitas as a business owner is important if you want your employees to believe what you say. If you don’t look them in the eye when you’re talking about the company’s new strategy, they’ll wonder if you’re really committed to it. If you’re calm and cool during a problem, your team feels confident that they can solve that problem.

Gravitas as a business owner starts from within

The real challenge is authenticity. Everything that you present to the world starts on the inside. You have to believe you’re a capable business owner who’s been successful. Competence is about having good knowledge of your business and it’s also having good sound general business knowledge. If you have these things as part of your DNA, they’ll tend to exude themselves.

While we’re all perfect in God’s eyes, people can react in unpredictable ways to certain physical factors. It’s unfortunate but true… if you don’t pass this filter, little you say or do matters. If you appear disheveled, ungroomed, and disorganized you won’t be asked back.

As a small business owner, the most important aspect of your brand is your personal image. Does your prospect, team, or supplier see awkward, nervous, messy, and thrown-together?

Would a visit to the dentist, doctor, or professional image consultant improve an aspect or two?

Talk about it right up front and use humor to put others at ease so they can focus on the good content you have to deliver.

Ask someone else to lead that presentation, sales pitch, or important meeting.

Gravitas as a business owner is a powerful tool. The ability to exude competence and confidence is an inspirational influencer for customers, partners, employees, and the success or failure of your company.